All over the United States, craft breweries are continuing an American tradition which experienced an almost 50 year drought after the repeal of prohibition. Big Muddy Brewing in Murphysboro, Illinois is much like many of these new “microbreweries” all over the country, reinvigorating an industry and continuing a heritage that has skipped several generations. Until 1940, Murphysboro was the home of a thriving brewery and until prohibition; it was one of the cornerstones of the town’s industry. In 1910, the Stecher Brewing Company produced more than 40,000 barrels of beer a year. However, passage of the Volstead Act in 1919, which ushered in the era of prohibition, began a slow decline to the brewery’s demise. Big Muddy Brewing’s founder Chuck Stuhrenberg attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale in the 1980s. After graduation, he opened a franchise of Chicago’s Rosati’s Pizza in Carbondale and in 1990, began another venture, Spray Shield Industries. It was while Stuhrenberg was in college at SIU that he began making his own beer. Stuhrenberg and his college buddies would homebrew, and as the years went on, he began to take his hobby more seriously. Stuhrenberg always had professional brewing in the back of his mind, but it stayed a hobby until 2009. In July, 2009, Big Muddy Brewing finally began production, the first brewery in Murphysboro in over 50 years.
6% a bottle picked up at Bottles & Cans in Chicago(great place to make mix 4 or 6-packs!). Served in a pint glass. It pours a light amber with a thin fizzy off-white head. The aroma is a fruity apple cinnamon though less so than O’Fallon’s Pumpkin Beer. This has a bit more pumpkin and nutmeg in the nose. Medium bodied with a lively carbonation. This beer is a candyish cinnamon monster with gingerbread cookies, nutmeg and pumpkin as well. Good but very sweet. Think halloween cookies.
Purchased at Bottles and Cans in Chicago, IL; enjoyed on a nice Monday night while doing some song writing. Appearance is a cloudy gold, not much head. Aroma is mostly hoppy, actually it’s just hoppy, not a bad thing though. Taste has a nice hop profile but doesn’t add much else, which again isn’t a bad thing, it’s just a straight forward IPA but it’s pretty good.
Aroma: The aroma is clean and lightly smokey, wood, bready and sweet malts Appearance: Pours a reddish-orange color with a clean, frothy beige head and spotty lace Flavor: The flavor is light sweet malts and light smoke, it feels just a hint thin flavor-wise Palate: This one has a smooth, creamy feel, soft carbonation, and a fairly short finish Overall Impression: This is an alright beer. It has a decent smoke presence, but it is a little thin on the mouth. The cherry isn't all that noticeable. This one drinks solidly and it isn't offensive or anything. It does have a nice pour and a pretty good mouthfeel. It just doesn't quite get there from a flavor/smoke perspective.
Pour is a dark brown with a thin tan head. Aroma is all spice. Lots of cinnamon and nutmeg. Flavor is more spice. Cinnamon dominates with nutmeg in the back round. I don’t get any vanilla but this bottle is probably well past it’s prime. If you don’t like spices in your beer you won’t really like this. Good thing I fancy a well done spiced ale and this fits the bill.
22oz bomber. Hazy yellow-orange-tan body. Frothy off-white head. A well done IPA, capturing some nice Australian hop tones alongside classic Cascade. Quality offering for sure, quite balanced and tasty, hop forward, quality ingredients. I’m OK not calling it a Double IPA, but it certainly comes close. Big, full bodied. Zesty straw and light tropical fruit in the aroma, steady grapefruit (cascade) guiding it. Exceeded my expectations.
Bottle. Pours dark amber brown with off white head. Nose and taste of toasted chocolate malt, light roast malt, licorice, burnt grain and light grass. Lighter medium bodied.
22oz bomber. Deep, unfiltered, opaque, brown-burgundy color. Massive, steady beige head. Really solid offering. Classical citrus, pine aroma, some Black IPA-like oiliness. Creamy and smooth. Big brown malt notes, pleasant citrus hop balance. Perfectly respectable offering.